Interactive theatrical performance

ABSTRACT

A theatrical performance for relaying data from at least one performer to at least one member of the audience, including a processor; at least one data collector positioned on the at least one performer and remotely connected to the processor; and at least one display device remotely connected to the processor to display processed data from the processor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a theatrical performance which makesuse of “virtual reality-type” concepts to provide an interactive andaltered perspective view for audience members. By “virtual reality” ismeant an altered sensory experience which differs from that which wouldotherwise be experienced. The inventive system permits a customizableexperience for individual members of the audience.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

Live theatrical performances generally involve one or more actors orperformers on a stage which faces or is surrounded by an audiencecomprising of individual audience members. The juxtaposition of stageand audience defines the perspective experienced by each audience memberthrough the so-called “fourth wall”, the imaginary wall between thestage and the audience, which the performers on stage treat as an actualdivider to give the audience the impression of viewing action in aclosed room. Individual audience members experience the theatricalperformance based on their individual view of the performers on thestage through this fourth wall. Even in productions where the fourthwall is breached such as by performers directly addressing the audienceor venturing out into audience areas, an audience member's positioningstill determines his or her view of the proceedings.

Likewise, an individual audience member's experience is limited byselections made by the producers, director, or other creativeindividuals involved in the production. In other words, certain sceneryand costumes are selected and other aspects of the production'sappearance and presentation are selected without the control or input ofindividual audience members. Moreover, these selections are made for theaudience as a whole and not customized for individual audience members.Thus, each member of the audience is required to view the same stylisticelements as every other audience member regardless of personalpreferences or creative notions.

Although interactive productions have been staged where audience membersvote or otherwise select from among options with respect to scenesand/or endings, the choices are made by the audience as a whole and notcustomizable by individual audience members. Consequently, if theaudience as a whole decides a scene should proceed in a certain mannerin such an interactive production, each audience member is therebyobliged to experience that particular manner of proceeding. Thus, whilenominally interactive, individual choice falls prey to the group'sdecisions.

What is desired, therefore, is an interactive theatrical performancewhereby individual audience members can select and/or alter theirrespective viewpoints or experience during the production. Such aninteractive theatrical performance is provided herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an interactive theatrical performancewhere each audience member is provided with one or more “virtualreality” devices which function to permit a customizable theatricalexperience for that individual audience member and thereby combine thefeatures of a live theatrical experience with those of virtual realitygames, etc. Exemplary of such devices are virtual reality goggles, whichblock out all light from outside the goggles and project an image to thewearer which substitutes the projected image for the actual environmenthe or she is in, thereby creating a “virtual” reality. Another suchdevice is one or a pair of virtual reality gloves, which can providesensory details to the wearer, such as heat and cold. In one embodimentof the inventive system, each of the performers during the performancecan have on his or her person a miniature broadcast camera such thatindividual audience members can select the perspective offered byindividual performers. In other words, by using virtual reality goggles,an audience member can select a perspective of Actor A and, thus, viewthe action through the “eyes” of Actor A by viewing through the cameraworn by Actor A. Likewise, another audience member can view theperformance through the perspective of Actor B, and so on, so that,indeed, audience members sitting next to each other can actually beviewing the performance from entirely different perspectives. Moreover,an audience member can be permitted to switch during the performancesuch that he or she is thereafter viewing the performance from adifferent actor's prospective. In addition, cameras can be positioned atdifferent locations on or around the stage, such that audience memberscan view the performance from these different static locations, ratherthan through the perspective of individual performers.

This can be accomplished through feeding the signals from the respectivecameras mounted on the performers through a processor that directs thesignal to individual audience members in response to selections made bythe audience member. The signals can be either wirelessly transmitted orthrough hard-wired connections on to processors or receivers at audienceseats. An audience member can either make a selection upon entering thetheater such that the particular selection made is associated with theaudience member's seat number and the appropriate signal sent to thevirtual reality goggles associated with that seat number. Morepreferably, a selection device can be available at each seat such thatan audience member can select any perspective performer at variouspoints during the performance. The selection is electronicallytransmitted to the processor (again either wirelessly or throughhard-wired connection), which thereby sends the appropriate signal (orperspective) to the selecting audience member. Alternatively, therespective selections available to audience member can be made throughan internet site which can be accessed by, e.g., ticket holders, priorto entering the theater.

In another embodiment of the invention, which can be either substitutedfor or in addition to the earlier described embodiment, the viewprovided to an audience member can be customized as to scenery,costuming, or other stylistic elements of the productions. In otherwords, the theatrical performance can be performed in front of blankscreens, or so called “blue screens” or “green screens” such thatdifferent scenery elements can be displayed on the screens when viewedthrough the virtual reality goggles.

Thus, one audience member can perhaps select as the location for theperformance a castle, whereas another audience member can select, forinstance, a garden. For the first audience member, his or her virtualreality goggles can then display castle scenery displayed on thebackground screens behind the performers, whereas the second audiencemember can have garden scenery displayed. Again, audience memberssitting next to each other can view the live performance in entirelydifferent settings. Moreover, the performers can be wearing costumeshaving sensors or other devices which permit the display of differentelements thereon when viewed through virtual reality goggles, so thatthe costuming can be individually selected by audience members andcustomized such that the appropriate costumes are displayed based on thescenery selected by the audience member.

In a further embodiment, audience member's features can be scanned intoa processor, such as when the audience member enters the theater. Thataudience member's features can then be displayed on one or more of theperformers during the performance, such that the audience member isviewing him- or herself in one of the performers' roles. When anaudience member is viewing the performance from the perspective of adifferent performer, he or she can be watching him or herself displayedon a first performer. Again, this can be customized for individualaudience members such that each audience member is viewing him- orherself on stage.

Other virtual reality elements can also be included within theaudiences' experiences. For instance, audience members can also wearvirtual reality gloves or other elements of clothing which can providesensory experiences such as heat, cold, etc., in response to experiencesfelt by individual performers. In this way, if an actor picks up a coldglass, the cold sensation can be provided to individual audience membersthrough the virtual reality gloves; if an actor touches a hot object,heat can be experienced by individual audience members.

Other “virtual reality” effects can also be included such that blowersor water sprayers, etc., can be positioned near each seat or over theaudience as a whole to duplicate environmental conditions supposedlyexperienced by the performers during the performance. Again, if one ofthe performers is supposedly experiencing a breeze, individual audiencemembers associating themselves with that actor can also experience abreeze if a blower is associated with individual seats, whereas nearbyaudience members would not experience the same breeze.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide aninteractive theatrical performance.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a theatricalperformance which can be customized according to audience members'individual desires.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide aninteractive theatrical performance where individual audience members canview the performance through the perspective of individual performersduring the performance.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide aninteractive theatrical performance whereby individual audience memberscan select stylistic elements of the performance independent of theselections of other audience members.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide aninteractive theatrical performance whereby individual audience memberscan experience environmental and/or sensory elements of the performanceassertedly experienced by individual performers, or from differentlocations, selected on an independent and customizable basis.

These objects and others which will be apparent to the skilled artisanupon review of the following description can be accomplished byproviding a theatrical performance for relaying data from at least oneperformer to the audience, which includes a processor, at least one datacollector positioned on the at least one performer and remotelyconnected to the processor; and at least one display device, such as avideo or audio display device, remotely connected to the processor todisplay processed data from the processor. Advantageously, the datacollector obtains data substantially similar to data perceived by the atleast one performer, and the processor receives the data from the atleast one data collector and transmits the data to the at least onedisplay device. The processed data is displayed to one or more of themembers of the audience, preferably in real time (i.e., relativelyinstantaneously), such as by a plurality of secondary processorsremotely connected to the processor to modify the collected audio andvisual data.

In another embodiment of the invention, the audio and visual data andthe additional audio and visual data are processed into a plurality ofperformance sets of data during the theatrical performance; and eachaudience member (spectator) can separately experience each performanceset of data. Preferably, each spectator can independently select one ofthe performance sets of data to experience; more preferably, eachspectator programs one of the individual processors to individuallymodify the collected audio and visual data.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description provide embodiments of the inventionand are intended to provide an overview or framework of understandingthe nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. Theaccompanying drawing is included to provide a further understanding ofthe invention and is incorporated in and constitutes a part of thespecification. The drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention,and together with the description, serves to describe the principles andoperations of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of one embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The theatrical performance around which the invention of theabove-captioned application can be produced can be any type oftheatrical performance, including those ranging from dramatic playthrough comedy through musical. Indeed, the inventive system can createan entirely new class of theatrical performance. Most preferably, theperformance is a dramatic play or comedy. In practice, a menu ofselections is made available to audience members as illustrated as 20 inFIG. 1. The menu can be electronic or on paper and provides theselections available to each audience member, such as from which actorthe audience member's perspective is to be taken, through scenery orcostuming selections. The menu can be available upon entry into thetheater or at each individual seat. In addition, an input devicedesignated 30 is used to input each individual audience member'sselection into a processor 40. Input device 30 can be actuated by a hostor hostess or by the individual audience member him- or herself. Indeedmenu 20 and input device 30 can be combined into one unit with a touchpad or other similar actuator to permit an audience member to enter hisor her choices. In a preferred embodiment, a scanner 50 can be used toinput characteristics of individual audience members such as facialfeatures, etc., and fed into processor 40. Most preferably, scanner 50is present at the entrance of the theater in which the performance is tobe held, with individual audience members having the required featuresscanned into scanner 50 as he or she enters.

Selections from input device 30 and, when employed, data from scanner50, are associated with each individual audience member such as, forinstance, via ticket seat number, and fed into processor 50. Processor40 also obtains performance inputs which can be data from cameras wornby individual performers, static cameras situated about the stage orother areas of the theater, environmental cues experienced by individualperformers, sensory experiences from individual performers, etc.Processor 40 then provides the appropriate data to individual audiencemembers.

Individual signals can be sent to audience members through the use of amultiplexer associated with processor 40. Most preferably, eachindividual audience member has a processor at his or her seat (notshown) which obtains a signal from processor 40 and communicates theselections made by each individual audience member by that individualaudience member, scanned in characteristics and performance inputs, toprovide the selected experience to individual audience member 62, 64,66, etc.

More particularly, if audience member 62 selected a castle scene, hadhis or her physical characteristics scanned in and assigned to actor Aand wished to view the performance from the perspective of actor B, theneach of those parameters can be provided to virtual reality gogglesassociated with the seat at which audience member 62 is seated. Thus,the audience member 62 can assume the view of performer B and observehim or herself in the role of performer A in a castle scene throughvirtual reality goggles.

Other virtual reality effects can also be communicated to audiencemember 62 from processor 40 (such as through an individual processorlocated at the seat of audience member 62 such as hot or cold inputsthrough virtual reality gloves, breezes, rain, etc. These individualeffects can be repeated for each audience member 62, 64, 66, etc., on anindividual and customizable basis.

Thus, for the first time, a truly interactive and independentcustomizable theatrical performance can be provided where each audiencemember can select elements of the production to be observed includingperspective, scenery, costuming, or other aspects of the productionindependent of other audience members. If menu 20 and input device 30are located at audience member's seats, these choices can even bealtered and amended during the performance.

The above description is intended to enable to person skilled in the artto practice the invention. It is not intended to detail or alterpossible variations any modifications that would become apparent to askilled worker upon reading the description. It is intended, however,that all such modifications and variations be included within the scopeof the invention that is defined by the following claims. The claims areintended to cover the indicated elements and steps in any arrangement orsequence that is effective to meet the objectives intended for theinvention, unless the context specifically indicates the contrary.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An interactive system for providing a livecustomized theatrical performance, the system comprising: a processor;and at least one virtual reality device associated with each spectatorof the live theatrical performance, each virtual reality device coupledto the processor to independently receive real time virtual realitysensory effects projected from the processor in response to one or moreparameters selected by the associated spectator, wherein selectableparameters further comprise a visual perspective for the spectator,costumes associated with each performer, and background sceneryelements.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one datacollector dynamically positioned on each of a plurality of performersand remotely connected to the processor, and at least one data collectorstatically positioned for viewing the plurality of performers andremotely connected to the processor, wherein the processor is configuredto provide a virtual reality sensory effect associated with one of saiddynamically positioned and statically positioned data collectors to avirtual reality device in response to an associated visual perspectiveparameter selection.
 3. The system of claim 2, the selectable parametersfurther comprising physical features for at least one performer.
 4. Thesystem of claim 3, the physical features for the at least one performerselectable by the associated spectator from among various optionsincluding the physical features of the associated spectator.
 5. Thesystem of claim 2, the selectable parameters further comprisingenvironmental effects associated with at least one performer.
 6. Thesystem of claim 5, the at least one virtual reality device furthercomprising at least one virtual reality glove, the environmental effectsfurther comprising temperature effects projected to the at least oneglove.
 7. An interactive system for customizing a live theatricalperformance, the system comprising: an input device configured toreceive one or more performance parameters associated with a spectatorof the performance; one or more real time data collectors associatedwith a performer in said theatrical performance; one or more virtualreality devices associated with the spectator; and a processorconfigured to receive the performance parameters from the input deviceand real time performance data from the one or more real time datacollectors, generate an individually customized real time theatricalperformance based on the performance parameters superimposed with thereal time performance data, and provide the customized real timetheatrical performance to the one or more virtual reality devices forreal time presentation to the spectator.
 8. The system of claim 7,wherein the input device is configured to receive one or moreperformance parameters selected by the spectator prior to theperformance.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the input device isconfigured to receive one or more performance parameters selected by thespectator in real time during the performance.
 10. The system of claim7, wherein the input device is configured to receive one or moreperformance parameters selected by the spectator prior to theperformance and further configured to receive one or more performanceparameters selected by the spectator in real time during the performanceto supplement or amend the performance parameters selected prior to theperformance.
 11. The system of claim 7, the performance parametersselectable by the spectator and comprising one or more of a visualperspective for the spectator, costumes associated with each performer,and background scenery elements.
 12. The system of claim 11, furthercomprising a scanner wherein physical features of the spectator may bescanned prior to the theatrical performance, the processor furtherconfigured to generate the customized real time theatrical performancebased on the scanned physical features of the spectator, wherein thecustomized real time theatrical performance comprises a perspective viewfor the spectator of the scanned physical features of the spectatorsuperimposed on a performer in real time.
 13. The system of claim 7, thereal time performance data collected from the one or more datacollectors further comprising one or more of a perspective view, anenvironmental cue or a sensory experience from the individual performerassociated with the one or more data collectors.
 14. A method ofproviding a customized theatrical performance to individual audiencemembers in real time, the method comprising: receiving at a processorone or more performance parameters associated with an individualaudience member, wherein the performance parameters are selectable bythe individual audience member from a menu comprising one or more of aperformer from which a visual perspective for the individual audiencemember is to be taken, scenery selections, costume selections andphysical characteristics of one or more performers in the theatricalperformance; receiving at the processor performance data from one ormore real time performance data collectors remotely coupled to theprocessor; generating at the processor a theatrical performancecustomized to the individual audience member based on the performanceparameters and the performance data; and providing in real time virtualreality data to one or more virtual reality display devices associatedwith the individual audience member, the virtual reality datacorresponding to the generated customized theatrical performance. 15.The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving performanceparameters further comprises receiving at a processor one or moreperformance parameters selected by an individual audience member priorto the theatrical performance.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein thestep of receiving performance parameters further comprises receiving ata processor one or more performance parameters selected by an individualaudience member in real time during the theatrical performance.
 17. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising providing virtual realityenvironmental effects to the individual audience member, said virtualreality environmental effects further comprising environmentalconditions corresponding to the generated customized theatricalperformance in real time.
 18. The method of claim 17, the virtualreality environmental effects provided by virtual reality apparel, anair blower or a water sprayer positioned relative to the associatedindividual audience member.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the oneor more real time performance data collectors are positioned on one ormore performers in the theatrical performance.
 20. The method of claim14, further comprising the step of scanning physical characteristics ofthe individual audience member upon entry by said audience member intothe theater in which the theatrical performance is held, wherein theselectable performance parameters further comprise the physicalcharacteristics of the individual audience member substituted for thephysical characteristics of one or more performers in the theatricalperformance.